My husband does not have a degree but immense sales experience. He has been in sales in the food and beverage industry for about 10 years now and wants to get into tech. I am in tech and have a degree so unsure if he needs a degree to get a sales role? So many places are quick to turn away great candidates because of schooling even if their experience surely qualifies them. Anyone have experience or know if their company requires a BA for sales roles?

likehelpful
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Quite a few sales roles in tech have a 4 year degree as a requirement. However some of the most talented sales pros I’ve worked with have limited or no college education.

The best way to get around this problem is to research the company he’d like to work in, find the sales recruiter on LinkedIn and reach out directly instead of applying online.

It’s very much a candidates market in sales right now so if the experience is there recruiters may be willing to overlook the lack of a degree.

likehelpfulfunny

Have him look up SaaS Bros on LinkedIn. They're entire goal is to get talent their foot in the door with Tech Companies.

like

No such requirement at my company. Such requirements are widely scorned across tech, although still common.

likefunny

There are soooo many companies out there. There will definitely be some that absolutely require a BA, some that don't.

One piece of advice I've got is that often, companies will list "requirements" which are just wish lists. Frustrating but true.

like

Send me a DM!

like

Hi! I can't DM, but I would like a referral if possible.

like

I’m in sales and no degree. I’m in the process of trying to get into tech sales and I am struggling a bit. Good luck to him!

likesmart

Good luck to you!

like

No one cares about your degree in sales. He will be just fine! Would, however, recommend brushing up on the types of tech tools he will likely be using, like Salesforce, and the general lingo

like

https://joinfishbowl.com/comment_2gzk6ufgoh

like

This applies to SaaS, and any kind of sales- if you want a job that you don’t fit the exact listing for you need to sell yourself. What does that mean?
1. Plan: where do my skills and experience align with the industry I’m interested in (ex. work in banking, move to ERP SaaS sales; work in retail or customer service, move to SDR role at CX Service company; etc.)
2. Research: find a few companies that fit your research, then see whether they have open roles.
3. Prospect: connect with hiring managers and/or current reps at the company, explain your interest based on the research you’ve done and ask for time to connect
4. Sell: Okay you got some time, now sell- that’s all recruiting is. Sell your skills and experience, build a relationship, find out what matters to the company and team
5. Close: tell them you appreciate their time, and that you would love the opportunity to join their team. You have the job requisition pulled up right now and you’re planning to apply, is there anything else you can do to assure them that you’re the right person for the job?
6. Rinse and repeat: this will not work every time because it’s sales, if you were closing 100% of attempts you wouldn’t be reading this you’d be on a yacht in Mallorca. Get back out there and keep trying until you get the job you want.

likeupliftinghelpfulfunny

My company does not require it. One of our top AEs started sales career by selling timeshares no degree and no technical background. The tenacity and sales skills allowed this AE to come in and crush quota for 18 months and then moved onto a larger tech company. It’s definitely possible.

like

With 10 years of experience, I feel many companies would overlook degree requirements. I think the chances would be higher if he was able to speak directly with recruiters rather than automated application systems.

like

Exactly! My concern is his just getting passed through simple because of this. He can charm the pants off anyone so I wouldn’t be worried if he just got into the right conversations with people. Thanks for the reinforcement!

I don't have my degree and worked my way up to enterprise sales (operations, program management, pricing, pre-sales) . Every role I have taken outside of college age has said they couldn't care less, it's about experience. Key will be getting to talk to a recruiter vs blindly applying

like

Indeed has a new policy where they do not require degrees for any role.

like

My brother does sales and he didn't even graduate from high school. He did get his GED but no college degree. Some places only care if you can sell and don't care about the degree! I would encourage him to keep checking and applying on Linkedin

like

Yeah, it’s more about experience. Most companies like to see how your mind works I. Terms of sales processes. The product can always change but as long as you can speak to your knowledge and sales savvy you’re golden.

like

What do you know about flooring / construction?

I was hired as an account executive without a bachelors degree at udemy.

Related Posts

I just changed my role to project management...I start to hate this when I'm doing the detailed plans. I have never been a detailed oriented person and it takes too much of my mental energy when working on very details. I guess I'm happy about the change I made but still need to find something I want to do in long run.

likefunny

What are some good programs to look into if I want to pivot from management consulting -> PMM post-MBA?

like

Hi Fish,

I am currently working in non tech as an analyst. I have learnt SQL AND Data warehousing concepts. I am thinking of switching to any data related role Data Analyst/Data engineer. Appreciate your views/thoughts on this.
Should I have to learn some more to switch or should take up any real time projects to start a career in the above mentioned fields.
Overall experience: 3y
CCTC: 4.2 LPA

THANK YOU

likeuplifting

Hello fishes 🐠🐋🐟,

Please help me out here.... Your input will be really great.

I have herd that currently most of the companies are in hiring freeze. (Holiday season, recession or layoffs).

I am trying to apply job for many companies since last month, and i haven't got any response from any of them.

Are there any Organizations still out there who are hiring/open for referral and are in position to handle recession.

Please comment your thoughts. It might make someone's day.

Thanks.

like

Hi I’m in the interview process at PayPal and negotiating salary. The position is a Manager L 25 in Reg Reporting and I’m trying to figure out a range for Florida but can’t find much at all. Any guidance would be very appreciated

like

Dad of 1 year old twins here looking to switch to McKinsey after graduating from a top 10 MBA. How do you guys and gals manage it? Got any advice for me? Thanks much!

like

I have offers from both United Health Group and Atlassian for a Senior Financial Analyst position. Similar Comp (Atlassian slightly higher due to stock options). Coming from another healthcare company as a SFA, does anyone have experience at either company? In the long term, does Atlassian look better on a resume/work experience due to the Tech/Software space? Seems like their culture is great, but a much higher work load due to the nature of the company. Thanks! Happy to answer DM's too

like

Interviewed recently with @VillageMD. Anyone have any insight about the remote Medical assistant positions? Preferably someone who does or did work in that type of position with this company. How was the workload? How much time is usually spent on the phone answering calls?

like

Has anyone applied for Salesforce Technical Architect position at Accenture? If yes, please share details about the Case Study and the overall interview process. Thank you!

brb...applying for a new role

Post Photo
likefunny

Hi All,
Onkar here.I have recently been laid off from FIS Global and I am actively looking for opportunities for java backend developer role.Preferences are payments,financial,banking domain.
Please let me know if there are any availability in your organization.
Contact :-9834952674
Experience:-2.2 years
My Techstack:-Spring Boot,Spring Webflux,Reactive Kafka,Ansible, Kubernetes (OCP),Jenkins, Cassandra,Docker.

like

Hi. Anyone here from Alstom India who can help me with a referral? Thanks

like

Why is it so difficult to get into JPMC? Every time i apply, i receive Thank you email.. Any leads for Application Support role

like

Various openings in Oracle universe at HCL. Please check the job profile and ping me if you want yoursef to be referred.

Post Photo
like

Anyone took CFP exam? How hard is it compared to CPA? And how many hours prep?thanks

like

Is anyone open to giving a referral at Deloitte? I have 3 jobs I'm interested in.

like

Has anyone successfully moved out of claims into underwriting? I have been doing worker’s compensation claims for about 9 years now as an adjuster. I would really like to get into underwriting but have not had any success so far. What are some other roles I can transition to?

likehelpful

Hello Fishes, How much Amex can offer on Product Owner role at 14 years of exp ??

like

More Posts

Just gotta commit and people will show

Does anyone have any Becker promotional codes? I’m re-buying the last part that I haven’t passed yet and this is gonna break the bank.

𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐇𝐑 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐑 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞!

SAP SuccessFactors Work Zone has been recognized as a top HR product in 2021 by Human Resource Executive and the HR Technology Conference.

#SAP #SuccessFactors #HXM #WorkZone #HR SAP SuccessFactors #EmployeeExperience

Post Photo

What we need is a new badge hierarchy for those that report. So we know who all the pro/chief reporters are. Too many ppl be hiding behind and abusing that stuff 😒

likefunny

Planning on having a conversation with my manager about my performance review and then I’m going to ask for a raise! Any tips on how to ask or structure the conversation? Also, what is a fair amount more to ask for? I’m thinking 15%.

like

I remember when I first started working on my thesis project. My adviser asked me to get some funding for it, but he didn't give me any advice about how to do that. He just told me that if I wanted money for my project, I'd have to go through some kind of committee process and submit an application for funding from them. Sure enough, after weeks of writing applications and waiting around for responses from the committee members (who were always too busy), I eventually got approved for funding!

like

Should I (BL mid-level transactional associate) amend my CV for an in house application in a way that would be different to if I was simply trying to lateral? If so, how?

like

What are good companies with work life balance I can apply to in Austin? Currently a C2 with almost 2yoe

like

Starting to feel a little defeated. How do you deal with an executive that works on their calendar too? And doesn’t really give you full control? I was moving things around making a meeting work and then my executive moved everything around and screwed up everything I worked on.

like

What do people recommend for start-up relevant marketing resources/books/personalities/podcasts?
I have a lot of enterprise marketing experience, but making a jump to a startup and want to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

like

It's that time...🦃

What's one thing you're super grateful for in your life or career at the moment?

Drop it below! 👇

like

What’s the avg salary for an DD/CD in Spain and Berlin?

Anyone looking to switch careers to a Marketing role with a leading Medical devices company? Looking for someone with 1-3 years experience in strategy and operations consulting. Please DM me

Are you good with decks?
Mmm..Yes.
Ok, need this in an hour.
Me:

Post Photo
likefunny

I would like to teach at a school that has the most normal parents. Could anyone give me a tip on the area?

funnylike

What do program managers do on your legal team at your company? What’s the expectations and challenges for this kind of positions? I am considering a pivot from legal to operation. Thanks!

like

Hello Folks,

Can anyone give feedback for synechron in HSBC accounts It's really hire and fair rule please help me

like

Anyone have experience or perspective on whether or not real estate investments are a good hedge vs inflation?

like

Looking for a job in Human Resources Management. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You

crying ceo killed everyone today on LinkedIn 🤣🤣🤣

Post Photo
like

Additional Posts in Sales

Anyone searching to hire a sales person?

like

Hi,

Need some guidance. Currently in Advanced Services with 90k base pay and no stocks options in Texas, I can be a TAM but I dont think the

company will pay more a lot more. I am looking into presales type of positions as I want get out technical troubleshooting roles and I a good 

background in Networking and Network Security, 7+ years experience.

For me presales are still technical roles which doesnt have much of the troubleshooting component but demos, POC's and having good communication sk

like

Im in internal sales.
a few years ago my company implemented a "2 pack" to my pay pay plan. Where they would deduct 200 per month to counteract minimum wage increase. Fast forward to now, it's 480 taken From commission.
Anyone else see this?

like

My company was acquired last year & new terrritoy assignments were made Jan 1st. The old AEs had until the end of Jan to close out deals they were working to receive 100% commissions & quota relief. The new AE taking over received 50% comm if the deals closed in Jan. After Feb 1st, the new AE taking on the account received 100% comm and the old AE received nothing. The two deals I had worked for months and in procurement Feb 1 close last week at 445k & $399k. $60+k comm to new AE - $0 to me. 😩

like

Are all MLMs really evil? Obviously the ones like Luluroe and such that you have to buy $$$ merch up front. But are there any that actually work well? I have friends who sell Amway (which I thought was evil), but they legitimately love what they do. And they're not -terribly- sales pushy like other people I've met. Curious if the MLM industry is shifting.

like

I'm still new to the sales world, and I really want to make as much as possible. What sales industry is most profitable? I don't have a family to get in the way so I'm fine with long hours.

Anyone in dental sales?

like

Hey everyone! Any openings in Canada for an RSM or VP sales? I have 11 years of exp in tech and SaaS sales.

I’m not happy where I am right now.

Suggesting headhunters/ recruiters helps too.

like

Is reaching Enterprise sales everyone’s goal here in tech sales? Or are you happy doing mid-market/AE deals? Enterprise pays more, but is it worth it?

likesmart

I have been applying at jobs for months! I’ve had a handful of interviews. A few job offers but low salaries.
10 plus years of sales experience in the real estate and new construction industry. Willing to switch up industries. Anyone know why companies that are actually hiring? Went to an interview today and they were interviewing for future poisitions that might open in the future if someone quits… wanting to have a base salary of $65,000 plus commissions!

like

So about quiet quitting, at another job I was in I felt I was getting more and more tacked onto my job and picking up the slack of everyone else. I told my boss that I was doing work that was in someone else’s job description and it would be nice if they could help me out by doing their job. He told me, “But you’re so much better at it.” Looking back, I think the whole team was quiet quitting and he was resting on me and so I real quit. What are ya’lls thoughts? Have you ever done it?

like

Dow Jones & Company Inc. Hey! I have an interview with Dow Jones can anybody give some insight on the type of questions that are asked during the interview? Dow Jones & Company Inc.

like

I’m in assistant manager at a company that sells dog and cat products. Our facility is overrun by mice and everywhere you look despite us cleaning between 4 to 6 hours a day (which takes away from what we could be doing normally)there is mouse fecal matter and pee everywhere. I have approached the company numerous times to bring in a cleaning crew and they expect us to do it. Despite the health concerns, they have ignored of my messages. Does anybody have any advice on how to move forward?

like

Looking to transition out of Healthcare sales into SaaS and would like to get a position with Salesforce, Gartner or even move into the public sector. Just looking for some guidance and advice on anyone who has done this successfully and if you have any contacts that be helpful to learn from.

Which company is better for growth in Sales, Salesforce or Siemens?

like

Is saas sales stressful?

like

Curious what the base and commission structure is for inside sales and associate director of sales in biotech (also anyone else who wants to share pls put industry). Paid hourly or salary? At the biotech company I work at avg inside sales is $62,632 with a $3500 per quarter cap. Commission structure is % based on sales quota reached vs capped (not a direct % of sales). I’m underpaid at $53000 with $3500 cap per quarter.

like

Does anyone use Zoominfo? If you do, would you recommend using it, or have you found a better platform? We provide a SaaS platform for WFM and our main verticals are Healthcare and Manufacturing across North America.

like

Hi All. I am Director of sales and operations at an event space in Brooklyn NYC. I feel as though I am severely underpaid. Just fielding the community in hopes of answers. Thanks in advance.

like

I think I'm going to be offered a SaaS role at 50% salary/50% commission. The total OTE is great but how do I know if anyone really hits attainment or that it will be done fairly? How should I ask for higher base while still showing I'm confident I'll hit targets?

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal